Panoramic old city

                                            Palace of the Government

(TARANTO)

Revolving bridge (of night)

                                                    Bell tower Dome

Navigation channel

(Between history and legend)

Taranto, "Understood them of the Magna Greece", had anch' it a preGreek period. Its origin gets lost in the remotest antiquity.

The Hethei - Pelasgi, coming from the islands and coasts of the Aegean, came to settle down themselves on one wrap of called earth Sinus Terentinus founding the city of SATURO dedicating it to their God Sat (Saturno) and UR (light, fire, city, power.) that is: City under protection of Sat. We are to approximately 2500 years a.C.

Later, than several centuries, always from the coasts of the Aegean, the Arii reached. At first they were limited to live in coves and stilt houses, showing a mild character, later on - these colonies who in the meantime had grown of number - prevailed on the Hethei-Pelasgi, as already it had happened in other places, submitting them and forcing them to the exodus towards other lands. The Arii changed the name of the city in TARAS.

Between the eighth and seventh century a.C. Greek colonies of Spartana origin, for commerce and expansionistic desire, came to join to Arii modifying connote to you political and civil of the place.

To these several colonizations go back storys of Taras, first founder of Taranto:

"... Taras, son of Neptune commander of a fleet, came a time in tries of these regions. It disembarked much in remote age, perhaps 12 centuries before Rome. While he honored the father allowed Neptune for having a good travel, and offered he rituals and sacrifices, he saw a dolphin jumping and it interpreted the thing as a good auspice and was given to build up the city to which it gave its name. A day but he it fell in the river that goes to the sea and for how many searches they were made was not possible to recover its submerged body. It had been assumed in Sky from the father Neptune, in the number of the heroes... "

In the Ancient coins of Taranto Taras in rump to a dolphin is looked at that tightens in the left hand a harpoon (symbol of Neptune) and in the right a vase from sacrifice, perhaps that the city alludes to the sacred rituals made from the founder in building up.

(This legend, like that one on Arione and Falanto, was Greek creation in posterior times to the lands conquests and all in order to put in relief the divine origin of the city, but above all for to glorify the captains of colonies).

Versione Italiana

Stone bridge

Saint Domenico (particular)

Alley 2 

Saint Cataldo

(Nail head centers them)